What is CVR and Virk.dk?

CVR (Det Centrale Virksomhedsregister — the Central Business Register) is Denmark's official register of all businesses. Any business with annual revenue above 50,000 DKK must be registered here. Public CVR data is freely available at cvr.dk.

Virk.dk is the digital self-service platform for CVR registration and all business administration in Denmark.

What does a CVR extract show?

A CVR extract is the public record for a business. It shows:

Basic information: CVR number (unique 8-digit ID); business name; registered address; start date; legal form (sole trader, ApS, A/S, etc.); status (active, dissolved, bankrupt, forced dissolution).

Industry: Industry code (DB07) — the official classification of what the business does.

Owners and management: Real owners (for companies); directors and board members; signing authority (tegningsret) — who can legally commit the company.

Registrations: VAT registration status and number; employer registration; any other registrations.

Annual reports: Links to filed annual reports for companies required to file them.

What should you check — and when?

As a buyer or business partner: Check status (is the business active?), check signing authority (who can sign contracts on behalf of the company?), and review annual reports for size and financial health. A business under forced dissolution or bankruptcy proceedings is a serious warning sign.

As an employee: Your employer's CVR number appears on your employment contract and payslip. You can verify they are legally registered.

As a self-employed person: Your CVR number must appear on every invoice you issue. An invoice without a CVR number is not legally valid under Danish bookkeeping law.

What is tegningsret?

Tegningsret (signing authority) specifies who can legally commit the company — signing contracts, taking out loans, or selling assets. In an ApS it is typically the director alone, or the director and board chair jointly. Always verify tegningsret before entering contracts with a company.

CVR vs VAT number

They are the same number. Your CVR number is your VAT number. Internationally, prefix it with "DK" — e.g. DK12345678.